Pumpkin Hot Chocolate with Maple Coconut Whipped Cream

I was just fresh out of high school, excited to get away from adult supervision, looked forward to never sleeping, and dreamed of sexy college men.

Oh ya..I went there to “study” too. (I promise Dad!!)

I went to school in the middle of Idaho where the sun shines 3 months out of the year and during the other 9 months your nostril hairs freeze when you walk out side. For fun you hike through underground ice caves, snow board down mountains into pools of water, wear approximately 23 pairs of clothing items, and pray that you don’t slip and fall while walking to class…

Especially in front of sexy college men.

Although I tried my best not too, I think I stood out like a soar thumb. I was from southern california, used to a fast driving and on a 4 lane highway, always played my music loud enough for the whole city to hear, and on too many occasions wore heels to class..(Mind you I walked in the snow up hill both ways.)

Most people wore black under armor or dark colored thermals, but I brought my spunk with me and walked around in bold and bright patterns…(Most people wear there thermals UnDeR their clothes…)

My sense of style (or lack there of) obviously hasn’t changed…

And just when I thought those sexy Idaho farmers wanted nothing to do with my southern california chilled out maxin’ out actin’ all cool attitude, I found someone who somewhat resembled my similar nature.

This all too well known at school as the ‘bad boy’ stole my heart.

(For the record..He wanted me…)

And a few nights a week we would sneak off to a quiet park in our little town and play in the snow. At first it started off silly and childish…

But nothing is as it ever seems…

Oh, the red flags…

(Snow in face and messed up makeup=No kissy poo for you!)

And after our snow play/beat down the future hubs and I would make a stop on our way home at the local 7-11. We were classy.

But, it’s all our little town had and it made us happy..Because that’s what really matters.

Now we are married and back in so cal, and I can’t help but dream and wish for snow and a big glass of hot chocolate. And although we have a 7-11 down the street, I’m pretty sure I made one that taste a whole lot better.

Pumpkin Hot Chocolate with Maple Coconut Whipped Cream

Ingredients: (hot chocolate)

(serves two thirst lovers)

2 C. soymilk, coconut milk, almond milk, etc…

1 TB. vanilla

1/4 C. pumpkin puree

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 TB. cocoa powder

1 TB. maple syrup

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients in a pot over the stove heated on medium-low. Stir ingredients until completely combined and warmed to desired temperature. (I used a whisk and stirred frequently until the cocoa powder dissolved.)

Maple Coconut Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

1 can full fat coconut milk

1-2 TB. maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Open your can of coconut milk and cover it with plastic wrap. Stick it in the fridge overnight. The next morning, take the can out of the fridge and spoon out the coconut cream. It will be thick and stiff like whipped cream. Place the cream in a bowl. (JUST the cream, not the water at the bottoms of the can.) Add the rest of the ingredients and beat or whisk until combined. You can use as is on top of milkshakes, pies, hot chocolate etc.., but if you put it back in the fridge for a few hours it hardens again more.

Soul, Heart, and Body warming!

Unless your sweaty because it’s still 90 degrees outside, and will most likely be until February…

Then I suggest that you make an extra special version of a Frozen Hot Chocolate!

Or a Frozen Pumpkin Hot Chocolate!!

Simply take your hot chocolate (but actually make sure it’s either cold or at least room temp., blend it with ice and there ya have it!

I saved my spoon from the restaurant in Vegas because I’ve been wanting to recreate it!

Comments

and I want a mug like that…I need a good glass mug for photography purposes. I wanted to do pics of my pumpkin spice latte in glass but didnt have one and didnt want to buy one just for pics but almost did.

Um, okay, you are just fabulous and so is that drink! Love the fall decor around the cocoa too! I think I have ot try the frozen version since I’m too impatient for wait for the weather to cool down here in So CA. ha! Yum yum yum!

This looks so stinkin’ good!! And easy, which is a bonus in my book I went to college in a really small town and we didn’t even have a 7-11. It was called “Country Fair”, which we so lovingly referred to as “Townie Fair”, as the locals weren’t exactly “normal” looking and were called “Townies”. ha! But we would always stop for late night meatball subs. So gross now that I think of it, but after many drinks and at 2 am they were so good.

awww what an amazing shot of you and your man and baby boo! picture perfect as always! I need to go to your guest post! i love pumpkin and have never tried it in a milkshake!! you can come visit me on the east coast for a week to get your snow fix!

I love pumpkin and chocolate together! and you whipped cream looks awesome. I tried coconut whipped cream once and when I took the can out in the morning, there was a thick layer of hardened coconut on the top – did this happen to you? It was rock solid like coconut oil :/

The two of you are the most beautiful couple ever!! I just love all the small stories about you that you share with us! and no wonder he wanted you- you are STUNNING!!

This hot chocolate sounds amazing! I think the thing I love most about your blog (although I love everything about it), is that it inspires me to make more FUN food! Still healthy, but fun too- like this! And since my biggest goal is to one day be a great wife I need to be able to make husband-friendly foods that I want to enjoy too! I dont know one man that would want to live on nori sheets, tofu and chocolate- like I could So your recipes and attitude towards food and health is so so helping me! Thank you Ari, you are the best<3

Ah, I’ve stumbled upon another diva who loves to cook (you are waaay prettier though). Great story. Great photos. Charming in the last one. The drink really does look like a serious love potion. Gotta try it!

What do you feed your baby now that she is off breastmilk or formula? I feel pressured to do cows milk, but I’ve heard so many horrible things about it! What do you do? Also, did you make your own baby food?

Hey Stephanie!
Baby Boo is actually the pickiest eater on the planet ! So, her eating is very minimal, and there are only a few things she likes to eat. She drinks toddler formula when she has bottles, but I give her soy/almond milk sometimes too. I don’t give her cows milk, because like me, she is sensitive to dairy, so she will occasionally have some greek yogurt/reg yogurt or cottage cheese/regular cheese. I do make my own baby food. When she ate pureed food, I would puree things at the beginning of the week, and freeze it. Then I would bring it out when I wanted to use it. Unfortunately, like I said, she has a thing against eating haha..so we are still in the process of learning what she will eat..Oh the joys of motherhood! For now, she pretty much eats what we eat, but with a few modifications.

I love pumpkin pie. And I love plain baked pumpkin with a sprinkle of cinnamon. But I’m not quite on the pumpkin bandwagon when it comes to sweet things. I was traumatized by my first attempt at pumpkin oats. They looked like baby poo. Your hot chocolate is beautiful, though!